Holiday Munchies: The Old Quay House, Hayle, Cornwall

Sundays. The home of many things. The home of the lie in. The home of breakfast in bed. The home of all laziness. However the most important item that Sunday houses is undoubtedly the great Sunday roast. During a recent holiday in Cornwall with my in-laws, Sunday rolled around and my father-in-law was unstoppable in his mission to locate this British tradition for us to partake in. Hands up to him, he found a real winner when we stumbled across The Old Quay House, which actually specialises in its Sunday roast hot buffet, served at both lunch and dinner time.

Situated off a main road and surrounded by rolling greenery and nearby animals also chowing down on the lush grass, The Old Quay House is your typical old school Cornish building; white-washed with an interior loaded with dark wooden beams, stark and cumbersome against the pale walls and ceilings. Upon entering, my husband and father-in-law had to mind their heads, however we were instantly greeted by the welcome sight of a well-stocked bar on the left and an array of mismatched seating on the right. An official dining room sat in a conservatory style addition at the back of the building, but us latecomers had to be seated in the front bar area instead, which to be honest I preferred.

To go alongside the characteristic beams and the simplistic dining set up was a quirky collection of sporting goods. Framed and colourful football t-shirts sat next to mounted cricket bats and club mascot posters, black and white sporting images huddled alongside coloured team pics. Adding an assortment of colours and textures to the décor, it really juxtaposed with the tradition building to add interest.

The popular Sunday roast is served as a hot buffet, where waiting staff help you to pile your plate high. You start by going up to the paying desk next to the bar, ordering your roast dinners and collecting a token for each meal you order. Then, you queue for your dinner, giving your token to the first waiter to serve you to show you have paid. You order your drinks independently at the bar. This method of ordering may appear cumbersome, but it’s great for groups who want to split payments, or for those who are driving and don’t want to contribute to a friend’s alcohol consumption if a bottle of wine is also shared (come on, we all have a friend like that!).

Reaching the front of the buffet queue, the heat coming from the platters from absolutely stifling, however the smells were equally making my mouth water passionately. Bringing a fresh gammon joint, I ordered the first few slices for my meal, as well as some tender strips of beef to accompany it. A squadgy Yorkshire pudding was piled on too, nice and soft, just how I like them, as well as these weird cubes that were attempting to pass as stuffing. These stuffing cubes were the only aspect of the meal I wasn’t 100% sure about – they tasted and looked a bit artificial for my liking.

They really loaded you up on veg too; I went for roast potatoes, cabbage, carrots, parsnips, broccoli and cauliflower cheese, my plate straining under the weight of my meal. Needless to say I didn’t let peas tarnish the hearty meal I had so far complied. At the end of the homespun buffet was a selection of gravy and sauces for you to slop on, so I splashed some over my meal with gusto.

It was a corking roast dinner. A brilliant size, you can’t help but feel stuffed when you are done. The meat is a real speciality and you can taste the TLC that has gone into the cooking of those succulently large and juicy joints. The gammon had that lovely fresh twang of pork while the beef was pure melt in the mouth. The veg was all pretty standard and nicely done – not mush and not al dente – and two Yorkshires was a plus point too. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this hearty and homely meal, and I could completely understand how they had sold out at lunchtime.

The dessert menu was very simple. Once we had made our order at the bar again and received our food, it was actually a lot simpler than even I had anticipated. In my opinion, so much effort and care had gone into the cooking and preparation of the main courses, that dessert was most definitely an afterthought. Although the presentation was neat and well, just nice, it looked shop bought and plonked on a plate. I’m not being funny but I can do that at home if I want, I don’t really want that when I’m out and about.

I ordered the roulade of the day, which I was informed was chocolate orange, one of my very favourite flavour combinations. However, when it arrived, I was underwhelmed. It was a chocolate sponge that had been rolled with whipped cream to form the trademark roulade spiral, the edges of the plate dotted with tiny segments of tinned satsuma. It was nice and it was sweet, but I can’t help but have this niggle of ‘is that it’? My father-in-law’s pavlova was nicely stacked but again looked shop bought while my husband’s sundae was merely scoops of standard ice cream in a tower. Nice but distinctly underwhelming compared to the magnificence of the classic roast dinner that came before. Clearly, people don’t usually have space for dessert!

Accompanied by a glass (or two) of sauvignon blanc, I did enjoy my meal – the roast dinner is a real winner and is honest, homemade cooking at its best. There is nothing fancy about a roast, but done well, it can excel itself, as it did here. The meat in particular was delicious and very flavoursome. Price wise, The Old Quay House was reasonable and the other main course dishes we saw whizzing from the kitchen also looked incredibly palatable. A cosy home away from home, it’s worth a pit stop if you are a fan of the roast. Just make sure you book if you want any hope of getting a table!

Holiday Munchies: Jamaica Inn, Bolventor, Cornwall

Fans of Daphne du Maurier will be well versed in Jamaica Inn’s murky past, the grey stone Cornish pub come restaurant once being the weather-beaten home to smugglers and trawlers pestering the coast of the wild Cornish moors, grabbing some much needed refreshment between lifting loads of goods. Although now the location is more famed for its ghost walks than pirate locale, I couldn’t wait to investigate the character of the place as I headed there for an evening meal with my in-laws on the last night of our stay in Cornwall.

The interior is typical of many of the older buildings we had come across during our stay in Cornwall; dark and chunky wooden beams lay coarsely across low white-washed ceiling, the beams encircling the walls and mirroring the dark wood of the bottle clustered bar as well as the polished tables and stools that sat around the relaxed eating area in the pub. A crackling log fire blistered within a large stone hearth, adding a unique homely feel and a hint of times gone by. Paper thin coloured notes of money, I couldn’t tell which, were stapled to some of the ceiling beams, adding an intriguing splash of colour and character that seemed almost a clue to the well-travelled visitors of the past. Odds and ends seemed to be everywhere you looked, creating quite a hodge-podge collection; however every item looked at home in its spot, as if it were meant to be sitting there. I could almost envision the trade ships and pirates who must have gathered in this quaint and quirky place.

A group of six, we were shown to a rectangular table next to the fire, three of us seated on a wooden bench made comfy by a matching deep red cushion, the rest of us perched on wooden chairs that had a stool like feel. The light from a tiny window adjacent to the table cast a nice natural glow on our table, while the fire the other side protected us from the rather draughty breeze that whistled past our feet.

Sipping a refreshing chilled glass of sauvignon blanc, I perused the classic British menu. The choice wasn’t massive, but it featured your classic grills, burgers, pizzas and pies – solid comfort food with something for everyone in the family, making it suitable for all ages. Feeling decidedly British, I opted for the steak and ale pie. Made with shortcrust pastry, it was a circular individual pie that emitted a delightful puff of steam when I cut into the crunchy, golden crust. Tumbling chunks of tender beef rolled out over my unwelcome portion of green garden peas, the rich inner gravy also sluicing over my rolled round of creamy mashed potato. A separate portion of gravy was presented in a tidy plain white jug.

The pastry was buttery and nicely seasoned, with the perfect level of crunch, even after being sodden in the rich, flavourful gravy. The beef was soft and the ale flavour added that little something extra to the flavour, deepening it somewhat. The mash was smooth and lump-free, soft and creamy – it even managed to disguise the taste of the peas that blighted my plate. The main course was very much an unfussy meal; it was plain, simple, homemade cooking, like Sunday dinners prepared by your mum. No frills it was honest food that tasted good, so it gets a simplistic thumbs up from me in response. It didn’t blow me out of the park, but I enjoyed the meal a great deal.

I continued  my British food theme with dessert, choosing a particular favourite of my granddad’s; spotted dick. Asking for extra custard, I ended up with two small jugs filled to the brim with the yellow vanilla loveliness, drowning my unfortunate pud! (Note: this is a good thing in Katie terminology). The pudding itself was taste yet again nothing to write home about. A bit lacklustre in appearance, it was nice and squidgy, dotted with plump sultanas and raisins, presented in a neat circle. It was a good size for a dessert so that made me a happy bunny!

Jamaica Inn couldn’t really be described as gourmet, but it is somewhere I would go back. Its atmosphere is strangely different, with that unique echo of traditional Cornwall and times gone by where pirates ruled the roost of the coast. Homely and comfortable, it is suitable for adults and little ones alike, with a menu that even the fussiest of eaters couldn’t complain about, so that also presents a win-win. It made for a very nice, uncomplicated evening with the family that didn’t burst the bank balance either.

Homeward Bound: The Ardleigh, Ardleigh Green, Essex

When my parent’s local pub come restaurant changed hands from an English pub and Thai restaurant cross to a brand new venue on the Ember Inns roster, it was only a matter of time before they were invited my husband and I round to test it out. Having visiting another Ember Inns venue in Hornchurch previously, I thought I knew roughly what to expect, however it’s always interesting to see the new spins different managers can put on to their patch of the chain portfolio.

Upon arriving at the newly named ‘The Ardleigh’, I really loved the relaxed atmosphere – dressed in muted shades of sage green, cream and plenty of natural pale wood, the décor has a definite feel of a country style kitchen; you can just imagine family members clustering together around the table for a Sunday roast. Despite aiming for cosy and comfortable, The Ardleigh is also undoubtedly stylish – you can tell that the presentation has been well thought out and designed, homey basics given a classy makeover for a rather swanky home away from home. Trying to not only be a successful restaurant, but also a local pub, it’s great that The Ardleigh has an array of different style seating, with a mix of table shapes and sizes, as well as sofa style benches for bigger tables, bucket chairs for intimate smaller groups around circles or more structured dining chairs around square set ups, ready for families of four. Animal based paintings and blackboards grace the walls, whilst dresser style cupboards house additional condiments and menus. Ordering some Sauvignon Blanc at the bar, we picked a table round the corner where I could squidge myself on some sofa seating next to Dan, my parents taking some dining chairs opposite.

The great thing about the Ember Inns brand is that it is definitely an advocate of traditional British fodder – perfect for fussy eaters (yes hubby, I’m looking at you). With a classic mix of dishes covering everything from pasta and salads to kick ass grills and burgers, there is something for everyone on the menu. Sipping my wine rather merrily, I decided to skip starters, although my mum chose the camembert sharer so I could have a dunk if I wanted. The presentation here was really nice, the wonderfully oozing and molten cheese sitting like a pool of perfection in its wooden box, a ramekin of onion chutney suggestively sidled up next to it. Small slices of toasted ciabatta bread were fanned around the edge, perfect for plucking. The homely feel was emphasised by the fact the food was propped on a sheet of Ember Inn printed newspaper, giving the classic chippie dinner a serious upheaval. Dan opted for something a bit different with his starter, choosing the pulled pork and pancetta croquettes. This is a combo I haven’t heard of before in a breaded croquette bite, so needless to say I swiped a bite. The pulled pork was definitely the predominant flavour, which is never a bad thing, the pancetta being more small morsels scattered occasionally within.

You can’t get more traditional that a juicy rump steak, and requesting mine medium rare, I thoroughly enjoyed my meat-fest. I tend to prefer a rump steak over sirloin, just because I favour a thicker steak, and the same was true with this meal – I just felt that the flavour came through really nicely, the meat was nice and tender and you could visibly see the juices of the meat, meaning it was deliciously moist and succulent too. Swapping my chips for buttered new potatoes, these were light and fluffy on the inside, the aspiration of any potato worth its salt, the onion rings soft and squidgy on the inside, the batter light and crisp. Palming off my mushrooms on anyone who will have them, the grilled tomato is what it says on the tin really, while the peas I disguised in sauce, as I’m not a fan! I added a sauce to my steak meal, opting for the Béarnaise – this creamy and thick sauce, peppered with hints of herbs, is definitely a treat, with a luxurious silky texture that glides over each mouthful of steak tastily. The thicker texture means that it stands up to the steak and the flavour isn’t lost or diminished by the strong meatiness of the meal – it works well to enhance the flavour and offer something a bit different from the traditional peppercorn or Diane options (although you can still order these if you prefer).

The dessert menu had me licking my lips and confirming that I made the right choice avoiding a starter – I think I wanted at least four different items from the menu! In the end, I chose something new to feature on the Ember Inns autumnal menu, praline profiteroles – two words that are amazing alone yet exceptional when paired together. The small batter balls were filled with a pale yellow custard, that was a cross in texture between traditional gloopy custard and pouring cream. The profiterole was encased in a Ferrero Rocher style shell, consisting of chocolate speared with nut chunks. So many of my favourite flavours all in the one dessert! Served with either cream or vanilla ice cream, I opted for the ice cream just to give yet another texture, the vanilla adding an extra hue to the indulgent flavour too. Also coming with a chocolate dipping sauce, this spot of creativity helps to further make this dish stand out, as you can either dunk your profiteroles, or pour the sauce over, so you can tailor your dessert to your tastes. Despite munching my way through my sweet, I was also able to ‘help’ my mum finish hers as well – the salted caramel cheesecake, complete with toffee sauce and chocolate, a scoop of ice cream again the finishing touch. The caramel flavour was divine, and really came through every aspect and component of the cheesecake. The texture of the cheesecake itself was like a very thick mousse, still having that firmness yet being light to cut and eat. Desserts were definitely a winner.

I also really enjoyed the wine – I found they offered a good selection, and although they were out of my first choice, after scanning the fridges, I soon spied an Oyster Bay white wine that would more than do the job. After a few glasses, I was definitely feeling more talkative! On the whole, my family and I had a lovely evening at The Ardleigh – the food was delicious with plenty of variety and the occasional twist on the traditional to make our favourites even more delectable. The service was also fine, the waiting team and bar staff all very friendly. I would say that we waited longer than normal for service, and the food took quite a while to come out. On a quiet weekday evening like when we visited, this is not the end of the world, although I imagine it would be a different scenario come the weekend. Prices and portion sizes are also decent. A more grown up venue, I’d visit again with more friends and family in tow.

Eating Around: Cote, Great Portland Street

When planning my London based hen party back in April, I knew an all singing and all dancing musical would be involved. Opting for the Andrew Lloyd Webber classic Cats, my partner in crime and maid of honour Jess also helped me arrange a slap up meal for our group of eight to enjoy before the evening performance. With the ladies in my family all having quite varied taste buds, it was quite a mission to pick a venue that would provide the exciting and adventurous cuisine some hankered for, whilst also offering traditional staples for others. In the end, we settled on Cote, serving delicious French dishes, pre booking for their pre theatre menu – designed to be quicker to plate up but still just as tasty. With three courses coming to under £15, this set menu is also a complete steal.

Walking in to Cote’s Great Portland Street branch, situated near the incredibly central Oxford Circus tube station, it was bursting with classic French chic and an understated style that leaves you feeling positively Parisian. Spheres of light hung from the ceiling, while the polished dark wooden tables were neatly decorated with cutlery and crisp white napkins. I loved the chunky water bottles that reminded me of old fashioned beer bottles, heavy and with a rust coloured pottery style hue. Smart rectangular mirrors on the walls helped to accentuate the space of the rather long room, and as we settled into a long table near the back, I was looking forward to getting stuck in to my dinner!

Selecting a refreshing white wine to have with our meal, I began by picking my starters – chicken liver parfait paired with grilled strips of ciabatta and a ramekin of mini, knobbly gherkins. It may be a starter that crops up on many menus, but it does so for a reason – it’s versatile, tasty and each restaurant can put its own spin on the dish. Going for the parfait route, the chicken liver meat was served in a small Kilner style jar. I speared and flicked the traditional thick fat layer off and scooped up a large blob of the smooth pate to smear on my ciabatta. I loved the fact that there was plenty of bread with this dish – there is really nothing worse than having lots of delicious pate and then a meagre amount of bread or toast. It’s a make or break factor so in this respect, Cote gets the thumbs up. The parfait itself was really tasty, with a full bodied flavour that was wonderfully spreadable. I also really enjoyed the smooth creaminess of the parfait matched with the spicy little bitter pickles – they complemented each other perfectly and the gherkins added a great zing to the dish.  Presented on a wooden chopping board, it also had great impact on the table.

For my main course, you can’t get more French than Coq au Vin, or to you and me, chicken in a wine sauce. A juicy, fat chicken leg had been cooked up with a thin red wine sauce, and pooled delicately in a soup style bowl, the plate clustered with baby mushrooms, carrots and shallots, as well as a molehill of potato puree (aka mash). Really nice and light to eat, this definitely didn’t sit heavily in the tummy, which is nice when you know you’ve got to walk around later. The chicken was cooked beautifully, being nice and tender, the white meat falling off the bone, soft and juicy as I bit into it underneath the soggy skin. The red wine jus wasn’t overpowering in the slightest, and added more of an accompanying depth of the flavour soaking chicken, working to tie together the various ingredients. The veg was fine and the mash was really yummy – so creamy and the perfect sponge for the runny sauce and veg. Buttery and melt in the mouth, it was really great to have a dish like this that I don’t usually prepare at home.

Last on the agenda before leaving to hit the theatre was of course dessert. I chose the dark chocolate pot with crème fraiche, also ordering a cappuccino at the same time for speed. I was so impressed by this dessert; granted it doesn’t look like much. Served in a disappointingly small jug style ramekin, the appearance is definitely understated, as all you can see at first is the flat white top of the finishing crème fraiche layer. Digging a teaspoon in, the deep and dark chocolate soon revealed itself, and boy did it have flavour! Rich and luxurious, the texture was out of this world – it was almost a cross between a custard and a mousse, being wonderfully thick and gloopy, but also so silky and smooth. It really was a remarkably opulent texture that was sensational. The really dark, intense chocolate taste was instantly lightened by the bright crème fraiche, so the two worked together in a magical harmony. This dessert may look a little on the plain and bland side, but it is the taste that does the talking here.

Although we did have to wait longer than normal for our desserts (coffee ended up arriving before dessert – always a bad sign in my book), we managed to make our seats in time for the show, so it wasn’t disastrous fortunately. Food wise, I really liked the meals I chose. Casting a quick glance at the full menu, some of the dishes had my mouth watering at the thought, so I would love to try some of their a la carte items. Interestingly though, their set menu is seasonal, so you could simply visit at another time of year and have the same set menu for the same price, yet pick completely different meals, which means the food is never boring or repetitive. For that price as well, you can hardly knock it. This chain has plenty of venues, so I suggest you look up one near you soon!

 

Homeward Bound: Bella Italia, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

With a penchant for meaty pizzas, a birthday food fest that needed arranging and an impending hen holiday in Rome, it was only natural that I went Italian when celebrating my 25^th this March with my girlfriends. I have long looked curiously at chain Bella Italia so I was pleased to finally have an excuse to book a table, opting to phone the Southend branch for a late lunch one Saturday afternoon around my birthday. Although they seemed to have no notification of my booking when I arrived with my group, it was luckily quiet enough that this didn’t matter, and we were still seated with ease, ready to chow down on some delicious Italian grub.

The ambience of the Southend restaurant was very much elegantly rustic, with stylish nods at an Italian countryside feel, for example a blackboard listing fruit and vegetable market prices. The venue seemed to be divided into varying dining sections utilising stripped wood to section off different areas. Terracotta and peach tones dominated, contrasting the heavy wood presence but creating a really homely yet classy feel, with large chandeliers dipping down to provide a musky light. Assorted jars and bottles served as decoration, homage to the Italian’s love of food and a feature in many Italian venues.

Settling down at our table of six, we started with the drinks menu, deciding on a bottle of Trebbiano to kick things off, the fresh citrus flavours accompanied by tones of apples and pears. In for the long haul, this was a three courser for sure, so I excitedly began browsing the menu for options. Starters I actually managed to pick pretty quickly for indecisive little me, opting for the Polpette, which is basically little pork and beef meatballs that are baked in a small dish, drenched in a thick tomato based sauce. Topped with cheese and a rustic hunk of ciabatta for dunking purposes. I have to say, this was probably one of my favourite starters that I have eaten, and I’m not usually a starters kinda girl. I love meatballs and these ones were cooked perfectly and faintly spiced which added to the flavour and also enhanced the passata-style sauce. The ciabatta looked a bit like a random afterthought just thrown on top of the dish, but it was a decent size to allow me to eat with my meatballs and mop up the tasty classic Italian sauce too. It reminded me of a bolognaise type sauce actually, in both consistency and flavour.

For my main course, I can never resist a large, juicy calzone – a great spin on the classic Italian pizza, so I decided to choose the Diavola option, although I have to say I liked the sound of almost all of the calzones! This one though contained N’uja sausage and pepperoni, so salami like meats, as well as chicken, bell peppers, green chillies and onions, served with an arrabbiata sauce, so again tomato based with a fiery bite to complement the chilli. In my opinion, this calzone was distinctly average, and although I enjoyed it, as I enjoy a calzone, I really wasn’t overly impressed. Firstly, the portion size seemed small for a calzone, as they normally come up huge – and I was starving! Secondly, the filling was incredibly sparse, so although the flavours worked well together, you couldn’t actually have a mouthful which combined them all. Meat was especially thin on the ground, as if the chef has been scrimping. I know a calzone is a folded up pizza, so toppings can be in short supply, but calzones are usually more full, so this was rather disappointing not to find more of the ingredients held within the soft and thin pizza dough casing. The pizza dough itself was delicious and just to my liking. One thing I did like about the main course was the fun plates – once I had mopped up my meal, I found a funny slogan ‘Just like mamma makes it’ painted onto the plate in swirled green handwriting. It was a great element of surprise and made me smile at the end of a very so-so main course.

At this point, more wine was in order, and since they had run out of the Trebbiano, we settled on one of my favourites instead, a Sauvignon Blanc, which turned out to be a lot nicer than the Trebbiano, so a result there!  It had a softer texture to drink and was less harsh, also with sweeter undercurrents.

For dessert, I couldn’t take my eyes off the Cookie Dough Lava Cake, a chocolate chip cookie cake with oozy chocolate sauce centre, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzles of caramel sauce. This did not disappoint in the slightest, and I thoroughly enjoyed this dessert, tucking in with gusto. The cake itself was moist and studded with large chocolate chip pieces, spearing the dense little cake. The chocolate centre was a pleasant surprise as it leaked slightly when cut, quickly being absorbed in to the surrounding cake. The natural vanilla flavoured ice cream was the perfect accompaniment, acting as a tool to help peel the caramel sauce from the plate, the flavours all working really well in sync with each other. The cake was a nice size too – I was worried it was going to be a little on the thin side, but it came up rather beefy which was great, as I wanted to tuck in with relish. Maybe not a classic Italian dish, but using popular winning flavours, it was always going to be good!

After the food, I ordered my customary cappuccino.  It was presented nicely and was lovely coffee, so a nice way to conclude the meal. But would I come to Bella Italia again? The menu has a fantastic array of choice, and mulling the online menu a few days beforehand, I was stumped as to what I would eventually pick as I have about five must-try dishes on my list! Despite this, when I received my meal, I was a little let down by the main course, not that I didn’t like it, but I was expecting better. My sister’s pasta dish looked delicious and made me half wish I had gone for the shredded duck pasta instead.

The service in the Southend venue could also do with brushing up on. Although I had made my reservation on the phone a good month in advance, the waiter at the front of house couldn’t find my reservation and seemed constantly confused about what I was trying to tell him. Not a good start. The waiting staff on the whole were friendly, however they weren’t efficient at taking drinks orders or ensuring that we stayed topped up – our designated driver for example had to ask numerous times just to get one orange juice. We were there in the late afternoon and the restaurant was empty, so not much excuse as to why the service wasn’t up to scratch. Prices were reasonable and what you would expect from a chain, so no complaints there. I’d be keen to visit Bella Italia again to tick off some more of the dishes that I fancy trying, although I think I would visit the Lakeside venue which is a bit nearer home for me and may have better service. We’ll have to wait and see! On the whole though, tasty food and great flavours – I just needed more of it!

The Dinner Dates Opinion:

Here’s what my friend Robyn made of our meal out:

“Walking into Bella Italia, there was an obvious rustic feel to the restaurant and a very relaxed atmosphere which may have been due to the fact that we did not arrive at peak dinner time. The service also felt extremely relaxed, to the point of being a little slow but the staff were all friendly and polite nonetheless. For a starter, I ordered the Insalata Rosso which consisted of tomatoes, onion, olives and a dressing – good to get the taste buds going but nothing particularly special (but really, what do you expect from a salad?). For main course, I designed my own pizza, adding my choice of two toppings to a standard margherita (chilli and spinach). The pizza itself was delicious and looked homemade which I would imagine, to quote a popular advert here, was just ‘like mama makes’. Overall, the food was enjoyable, the service was satisfactory – but really, I think it’s the company that makes a meal… and let me tell you, I had some rather incredible dinner guests.”

Homeward Bound: Piccolo, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Heading to Southend’s popular Cliff’s Pavilion Theatre last weekend to enjoy the Russian ballet’s interpretation of Swan Lake, it was only natural that a meal after the show would conclude our evening out successfully. With views across the sunset soaked seafront, Italian family run restaurant Piccolo, founded in 1977, is only a short five minute walk from the theatre, and was the perfect venue for three hungry stomachs.

With ‘piccolo’ being Italian for ‘small’, the restaurant itself isn’t massive, only able to hold a maximum of around 50 people. Despite this, it has a real lively yet comfortable ambience, as if every table were a traditional Italian-style family meal, the tables adorned with hearty meals, generous laughter and playful waiting staff.  Dark wood, cream walls and deep red seating were carried throughout the eatery, with a well-stocked bar adjacent to the entrance before you turned right towards the main seating area. Guests could choose between squidgy sofa seating or hard chairs, with a mix of square or circular tables depending on your group size. With three of us, we had our pick of the smaller tables, so we went for a table for four near the window, and I immediately swung into the sofa seating. Simply decked out with side plates, white napkins and condiments, Piccolo was very well put together – I found it stylish, homely and relaxing; perfect for a Sunday evening out.

After ordering bottle of Prosecco, reasonably priced around the £20 mark, we begun to make headway through the tantalising menu, every section producing delicious options I could easily sink my teeth in to, whether I was in the mood for pasta, pizza, fish or a succulent meat dish – some of their steak sauces in particular sounded to die for although they also bore a heftier price tag. Being a sucker for a classic Italian pizza, I couldn’t help but be drawn to this section of the menu. While we were considering our options, we ordered bruschetta topped with Parma Ham to start us off, deciding to share the plate to leave us more space for mains. Topped with juicy topped tomatoes on a thin garlic bread style base, the Parma Ham was curled delicately on top, olive oil and balsamic vinegar decoratively splattered on top. My sister and I had two pieces of the bread each, while her partner tackled three, a nice quick and easy to eat start to the evening.

No matter how much I contemplated, I couldn’t veer away from the pizza, and one in particular caught my eye – an English breakfast themed pizza that was topped with egg, rashers of bacon and wurstel sausage. Struggling to pick between toppings I went for the best of both worlds and chose this pizza with added extras – my favourite Parma Ham and also Bolognese sauce. Little did I realise that my breakfast pizza also came with a plateful of chips! No word of a lie, but I think this pizza was the best pizza I have ever eaten and it definitely ticked all my taste boxes. The base was traditionally thin, yet not over crispy, so it was still easy to cut and the crust had a nice doughy bite to it. The topping were layered on thickly across the entire pizza, so every mouthful was heavenly. The egg was mixed in with the cheese, forming an almost soufflé like texture across the top of the pizza which was really nice and also a bit different. The rashers of bacon were slightly browned and flavourful, cut into small pieces, while the sauce was once again fried and cut into small circles that had been scattered across the pizza. The Bolognese sauce was blobbed efficiently in the gaps, the Parma Ham laid out neatly on top.

The chips reminded me of the chips that you would buy in a fish and chip shop. Nicely soggy yet with a bit of an outer crunch and a damp fluffiness inside. Rather moreish even without ketchup, which wasn’t actually offered oddly enough. Jess also went for a pizza whilst Andrew went for veal escalope with spaghetti in a tomato based sauce. The food really was delicious and I thoroughly loved every mouthful. The components of my pizza toppings really worked well together, even with my additions – that’s probably one of the reasons I love pizza so much, since it can always be customised and is a great way to try all of the flavours that you want in one delicious haven of dough.

Despite being stuffed, I’m always tempted by a dessert menu, although Piccolo’s was less classic Italian and more Indian restaurant, with a set selection of ice cream based choices that I have spotted in various Turkish and Indian venues, that can just be wheeled out of the freezer easily. A bit disappointing, although profiteroles and tiramisu still both featured. I went for a caramel and vanilla ice cream option, and although the dessert was a standard one, the presentation was nice, giving added va va voom with energetic squirts of whipped cream and drizzles of dark chocolate sauce, the ice cream topped with a wafer for added volume. It was a tasty something sweet to finish the meal with.

On the whole, I really enjoyed Piccolo. The staff were very friendly, our waiter patiently explaining what dishes from each section were the best or most popular, although he joked with me about the size of my dinner portion, then acting impressed when I polished it off! Another waiter managed to spray me with Prosecco when he opened our bottle, however Andrew’s coat was worse off so it wasn’t the end of the world. With a varied and homespun menu, there was plenty I liked on there, and since it was also a reasonably priced menu, I would definitely love to return. I have the feeling that it is a bit of a hidden gem, since it was incredibly quiet when we arrived, however it feels like one of those restaurants that builds a solid and loyal following of regulars. Almost wish I was Southend based so I could be one of them!